West Central is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 42% of adults in West Central typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Central, ~32% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~58% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Central compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, West Central leans more Democratic than 9 of 13 neighbors.
West Central runs about 34 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within West Central. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+62) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+46), a spread of about 16 points.
Why West Central leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for West Central, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in West Central live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 57% of adults in West Central have never been married, above 91% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; West Central, Pasadena, CA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in West Central looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 84% of households in West Central rent, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 7% of homes in West Central have more than one occupant per room, above 83% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Madison Heights, Pasadena, CA D+65
- North Central, Pasadena, CA D+51
- Mid Central, Pasadena, CA D+51
- Normandie Heights, Pasadena, CA D+55
- South Arroyo, Pasadena, CA D+55
- East Central, Pasadena, CA D+42
- South East, Pasadena, CA D+56
- North Arroyo, Pasadena, CA D+41
- North East, Pasadena, CA D+24
- Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA D+52
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- South, Raleigh, NC D+71
- Arlanza, Riverside, CA D+15
- Grand Crossing, Chicago, IL D+82
- Fort Totten-Upper Northeast, Washington, DC D+83
- Central, Boston, MA D+53
- Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, NY D+69
- Eldridge-West Oaks, Houston, TX D+34
- Weston Ranch, Stockton, CA D+24
- Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, CA D+44
- Northwest, Portland, OR D+77
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from California Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.